Tag Archives: kitchen cabinets

Three separate functions come to mind when discussing the merits of using a blind base cabinet in your kitchen. Blind Cabinets:

facilitate a change in direction for a run of cabinets

allows an adjustable footprint for a cleaner design

gives additional storage space

First and foremost, a blind cabinet is a corner cabinet. In the case of a blind base, It is designed to fill the unusable “void” under a counter top corner.
Blind Base Cabinets don’t necessarily fill the corner void completely as the furthest (deepest) corner space is typically unreachable and therefor unusable by most users.
Its important to note that during cabinet installation, The blind base cabinet footprint size can be adjusted (usually 3 inches or more). See how the built in filler allows a range of movement prior to screwing the cabinet to the wall and adjacent cabinets. Its also important to note that the other side of the corner will require an additional filler to allow for proper door and drawer operation. BBC42L 36Wx34.5Hx24D Left hand 1dr 1dwThis cabinet has one door, one drawer, standard depth(24″), standard height(34.5″) but an actual carcass length of only 36″. When installed it will have a minimum footprint of 42″ but could be “pulled” up to 45″ or any length in between. As an example, in your kitchen design you might need to fill a corner base run with precisely 97 3/4″ of cabinets. Using modular cabinetry (which usually runs in 3″ increments) you use a B18 + SB36 + BBC42. When you add up the linear inches of the three cabinets you get a total of 96″ so the BBC42 would be “pulled” to equal 43 3/4″ to avoid additional fill sticks.

Wall blind cabinets typically have the same features and functions of the blind base cabinets.

Cabinet Bumps have become very popular in today’s modern kitchen designs. By mixing modular cabinets with different heights and different depths, Kitchen designers are able to achieve a “staggered” look that can add a dramatic visual impact and give a humdrum kitchen an added layer of depth.

Wall Bump ups and Bump outs

There can be a few kitchen remodel pricing issues that should be pointed out. Keep in mind that when bumping out base cabinets that the counter top will need to be custom fitted. Most top fabricators will charge extra for the added depth and the required inside corner cuts that will need to be made.

sink base bump out with angle fluted fillers

When applying crown molding to a bumped up wall cabinet there is a significant amount of extra crown usage in the wall returns. There can also be issues with ending the lower level crown near a bumped up corner cabinet.

wall diagonal corner bumped out

Below is a diagram of how to achieve the illusion of a bumped out wall corner cabinet when only a standard depth cabinet is available from the distributor.

How to bump out a Wall Cornet Diagonal

An illustration of a nice way to end your crown molding “short” when using a bumped up wall corner cabinet. Without this, your crown molding may lean out enough to prevent the WDC door from opening properly. Safety Tip: Pay extra close attention when cutting tiny miters like this.

Cabinet Crown Molding with bumped cabinets

In short, these are just a few illustrations of kitchen cabinet bump ups and bump outs. Using these techniques can give your straight run design a dramatic focal point and add a shot of individual character to an otherwise standard kitchen layout.

Does it matter which cabinet door frame joints are used in your kitchen? When refering to a typical, wood cabinet door, I find that a mortise and tenon joint is the by far the most commonly seen in the main stream cabinets. This joinery is strong, durable and allows the door frame to “breathe” so it adjust to its environmental factors.
In recent years, there has been a re-emergence of mitered cabinet door frames. A slightly weaker joint that uses slightly more material and is slightly harder to make, but it does have its good points. The most common comment I hear is that it has a pleasing visual effect. The longer, diagonal joint has the ability to trick the eye and blend the joint line where the wood grains change from horizontal to vertical.
Hmmm, this picture seems to show just the opposite! Do we see a suspicious upgrade where you get to pay extra for a perceived value? There is nothing structurally wrong with a mitered corner and it is usually a sign of extra craftsmanship. If you don’t like the checkered effect of typical stained wood cabinets, you should definitely consider mitered corner doors, especially in the lighter colored stains.